Research
The expertise and publications of History staff have shaped understanding of the past and public debate on a wide range of topics. We have been particularly active in engaging recently with the ‘Decade of Centenaries’ and First World War commemorations in Ireland and Britain, with the public representation of the past more generally in museums and heritage bodies in Northern Ireland and beyond, and in addressing historical topics including the role of religion in society, women’s struggles for equality, and race relations.
Our staff have wide-ranging expertise and interests that have shaped political debate and popular understandings of the past. Recent research projects have included work on women in nineteenth century America, war and the supernatural in early-modern Europe, popular music in early-modern England and the global history of the Irish revolution.
View all our funded research projects Research Lead for History Dr Kieran Connell
These four examples of recent projects provide a flavour of the range of research in History at Queen's.
Our Research
Discover our diverse and exciting research output. Click on the image for more details.
‘Bad Bridget: criminal and deviant Irish women in North America, 1838-1918'
Dr Elaine Farrell
Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, this three-year project focuses on the sexually deviant woman, the bad mother and the criminal Irish woman in Boston, New York and Toronto.
What's happening in History?
See how we contribute to the life of the school
Research events
We host a number of public research events each year, including the Wiles Lectures which for over sixty years has been bringing a world-leading historians to Belfast to give a series of talks on an aspect of the history of civilisation; and the Keith Jeffery Lecture, given on a public history topic by a leading practitioner.
Conferences
In recent years we have hosted major international conferences, such as the Urban History Society Conference (2019), Economic History Society Conference (2019). Oral History Society Conference (2018), and European Social Science History Conference (2018).
International Connections
History has a number of partnerships with universities and other organisations around the world. We have student or staff exchanges with George Washington University, the College of Charleston, University of Illinois, and University of Texas, and collaborations with others including Boston College, Harvard University, Vanderbilt University and the University of New Brunswick.
Our researchers also contribute to a wide range of interdisciplinary research centres and groups at Queen’s.
Centre for Public History
Research Centre
The Centre for Public History co-ordinates our wide range of activities on public history and acts as liaison with partners in the museums and heritage sectors and media. The Centre organises regular conferences, workshops and public lectures.
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Centre for Eighteenth-Century Studies
An interdisciplinary research centre
The Centre for Eighteenth-Century Studies is an interdisciplinary initiative established in 2002 and based in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. It draws together research expertise across the Faculty in the long eighteenth century in the disciplines of English, History, Languages, Literatures, Geography, Performing Arts and Music.
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100%
world-leading in research environment
*REF 202182.4%
world-leading/ internationally excellent in research outputs
*REF 2021Top 200
*in 2024 QS World University Rankings
Joint 23rd
of 81 UK Departments
*REF2021/THE